BLACK HISTORY

The greatest American figures cemented themselves in the fabric of history through their fearless experimentation and innovation within their craft. However, these efforts do not always translate into commercial or critical success, sometimes even eliciting strongly negative responses. The American Masters subjects on this list ...

Miles Davis didn't provide sheet music for his musicians during the recording of his iconic album "Kind of Blue." He said that "I didn't write out the music for 'Kind of Blue.' But brought in sketches 'cause I wanted a lot of spontaneity in the ...

Fats Domino, born and raised in New Orleans, and so were his writing partner Dave Bartholomew and bandmates like drummer Earl Palmer. In the late 1940s and 1950s, Cosimo Matassa’s J&M music shop was the only recording studio in New Orleans and became the mecca ...

B.B. King, born Riley B. King, was one of the most influential and celebrated blues musicians of all time. From his roots as a sharecropper’s son, working in the cotton fields of Mississippi, he rose to become a living legend — the most renowned blues ...

In this web extra footage from the director of "B.B. King: The Life of Riley," see B.B. King's funeral procession, which traveled from Memphis, Tennessee, to his final resting place in Indianola, Mississippi. The procession included marching bands on Beale Street in Memphis, an escorted ...

American Masters is proud to present the broadcast premieres of B.B. King: The Life of Riley and Fats Domino and The Birth of Rock N' Roll during Black History Month this February. The iconic musicians B.B. King and Fats Domino define the very genres of ...

Blues musician B.B. King released over 50 albums in his lifetime. With 15 Grammy Awards, the legendary guitarist holds the record for the most won in the Blues genre. September 16, 1925 B.B. King was born Rileigh King in a cabin on the bank of ...

Fats Domino: Timeline of His Life, Hits and Career Highlights By Rick Coleman February 26, 1928 Antoine Domino, Jr. is born in New Orleans to Antoine Calice Domino and Donatile (Gros) Domino. His midwife grandmother Carmelite Domino (who was born into slavery), delivers Antoine, the ...

Althea Gibson was one of the country's best tennis players at a time when, because of her race, she wouldn't be granted membership to most tennis clubs. Though race concerned the tennis world, it didn't concern Gibson as much. According to Arvelia Myers, Althea Gibson’s ...

Althea Gibson is seen in home movies at the esteemed West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, a mecca of tennis and national championships. The footage was taken by Bob Davis, her practice partner, who recalls how the setting was both alien and marvelous to ...